Railway mail service crane



Dec. 15, 1931. F. L. SEARS 31 RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE 01mm Filed July 28, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 14121 k HT 6) FEED 1.. $5,426

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 15, 1931. SEARS 1,837,073

RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE CRANE Filed July 28, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l Z7 Z8 4 a 6 5 I! 3 ["1 .3 4 a 7 6 f {I I [4 a 4 1' f g 7 6 @H 3 A A 35 M WITNESS: M ATTORNEY Dec. 15, 1931. F. L. SEARS RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE CRANE Filed July 28, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet Pk/:0 L. 55485 ATTOR NEY WITNESS:

Patented Dec. 15, 1931 i ram) LBEARS, or NIOHOLASVILLE, xmv'rucn RAILWAY sERvIcE we Application filed July 28,

This invention relates to a mailbag crane, thegeneral object of the invention being to provide means whereby the bag can be easily and quickly attached to the arms of the crane, with spring means for causing the arms to hold the bag under tension and with means for moving the arms and theircarrying member away from the track when the bag is caught by the catching device on the mail car. r r 7 A further object of the invention is to provide means for raising and-lowering the arm carrying member to facilitate the placing of the bag on the arms and the positioning of the bag carrying parts to catching position.

'Thisinvention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the" invention in detail, reference will'be had to the acompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding partsthroughout the several views, and in which i Figure 1 is an elevation of the invention, showing the parts in catching position in full lines and in bag receiving position in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the sliding arm carrying member.

Figure 3 1s ft SGCtlOIl on line 3+3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on line le-4L of Figure 2. V

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 2. e i

Figure 6 is a section on line 6 -6 of Figure 2. v V

Figure 7 is a sectional view through the cap and the cable guide.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary rear elevation; M In these drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the base for the post 2 and '3 indicates a bracket slidably arranged on the post and carrying the housing 4 for the back support-'- ing arms 5. The housing and bracket are each formed of two sections and a section of the housing is preferably formed with a sec- 1930. Serial No. 471,285,

tion of the bracket, as shown in the drawings, the sections being connected together by the bolts 6. The bracket is preferably formed with a flange at the top and bottom thereof, these flanges having a sliding fit on thepost. The bracket is also formed with the'chamhers 7 for receiving oil saturated waste or the like for lubricatingthe parts, the oil being introduced into the chambers through the oil holes 8. Each arm 5 is preferably of the 60 cross sectional shape shown in Figure 5 and is of arc shape, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.- Eaoh arm has its vertical part pivoted in the housing, as'shown at 9, so that the arm can swing about a horizontal axis andthe outer, 6 ends of the arms are formed with the notches 10 for receiving the loops at the ends of the mail bag A so that the bag is. supported in vertical position between the arms;

1A plunger 11, actuated by a spring 12, has 7o its head engaging the rounded inner ends of the arms, these ends extending beyond the pivotal points so that the spring of the plunger will cause the arms to move away from each other and, thus exert pressure on the bag. The plunger operates in a cylindrical chamber 13 formed at the center of the housing with the stem of the plunger extending into a sma'llcylindricalchamber 14 formed in the bracket between the oil chambers 7.

i A longitudinally extending rib' 15 is formed on a portion of the rear part of the post and a roller .16 is arranged at the top of the rib. When the parts are in bag holding position, a small notch 17 in the lower part ofthe bracket at the rear part thereof will receive a portion of the roller 16 so that the parts are frictionally held in position, whereby the device on a mail car can catch the bag. The force of the catchingoperation V willcause the, bracket to swing in the directhin the train is moving sothat the roller will ride out of the notch onto the helicoidal surface of the notch 18 formed in the lower end; of the bracketu One or these notches is-formed on eachsideofthe bracket, and

'each notch is formed with a straight wall Which'will act as ar stop for the swinging V movement of the bracket when the roller engages said straight wall. A cable 19 passes through the guiding passage 20 formed in the guiding head 21 which is formed with the cap 22 rotatably arranged on the top of the post and one end of this cable is connected by the link 23 with the top of the housing 4 and its other end has a handle forming ring 24 attached thereto. 'Thus by pulling upon the cable, the bracket and housing are raised so that the notched part 18 of the bracket can be raised above the roller 16 and the bracket and housing turned to place the arms in a rearward position so that a groove 25 in the bracket will come into register with the roller 16 and the rib 15 which enables the bracket and the parts associated therewith to be lowered into the dotted line position shown in Figure 1. A stop pin 26, carried by the post, will engage one of the notches 18 and limit the downward movement of the bracket, as shown in Figure 1. A new'bag can then be placed on the arms and then the partsraised and turned to place the bag in catching position.

A weather guard casing 27 is attached to the upper arm and covers the upper opening in the housing so as to prevent rain or snow entering the housing, it being seen that the ends of the housing are formed with the openings 28 through which the arms pass.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple means for holding a mail bag and means for moving the parts from catching position to a position where the bag can be attached to the device, with means for automatically swinging the arm carrying means to a position at one side of the post when the bag is caught by the device on a train.

Itis thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novelfeatures of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

"Vhat I claim is 1. A mail bag crane, comprising an up right, a member supported on the upright, a housing carried by the member, upper and lower arms pivoted in the-housing and having means at their outer ends for supporting a mail bag between them, spring means engaging the inner ends of the arms for moving the arms away from each other toexert pressure on thebag, said member being'rotatably and slidably arranged on the upright, means for, frictionally holding the member against rotary movement with the arms holding the bagin catching position whereby the member will be swung to one side of the upright when the bag is caught and means for lowering and raising the member.

:2. A mail bag crane, comprising an upright, a member supported on the upright, a housing carried by the member, upper and lower arms pivoted in the housing and having means at their outer ends for supporting a mail bag between them, spring means engaging the inner ends of the arms for moving the arms away from each other to exert pressure on the bag, said member being rotatably and slidably arranged on the upright, means foi frictionally holding the member against rotary movement with the arms holding the bag in catching position whereby the member will be swung to one side of the upright when the bag is caught, means for lowering and raising the member, such means comprising a cap rotatably arranged on the upright and a cable guided in the cap and connected with the housing.

3. A mail bag crane, comprising an upright, a member supported on the upright, a housing carried by the member, upper and lower arms pivoted in the housing and having means at their outer ends for supporting a mail bag between them, spring means engaging the inner ends of the arms for moving the arms away from each other to exert pressure on the bag, said member being rotatably and slidably arranged on the upright, means for frictionally holding the member against rotary movement with the arms holding the bag in catching position whereby the member will be swung to one side of the upright when the bag is caught, means for lowering and raising the member, such means comprising a cap rotatably arranged on the upright, a

cable guided in the cap and connected with the housing, a longitudinally extending rib on the upright, a groove in the member engaging the rib when the member is given a half revolution on the uprlght and a stop for limiting the downward movement of the member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRED L. SEARS. 

